HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-24 Letter to Sylvia Luke and Ty J.K. Cullen HB 1977, HD1 Relating to Physician Shortage (2) ot11•5s 'Ik., Roy Takemoto
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County of Hawaii
Office of the Mayor
25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553
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February 24, 2020
Representative Sylvia Luke, Chair
Representative Ty J.K. Cullen, Vice Chair
Committee on Finance
Dear Chair Luke, Vice Chair Cullen, and Committee Members:
RE: HB 1977, HD1 Relating to Physician Shortage
Assuring a high quality of life in Hawaii is simple to say, and almost too obvious a goal
to highlight, but nevertheless it is the most important part of the task facing our elected
community leaders. For this reason alone, I want to thank and praise any effort to deal with one
of the most critical issues that we must confront, and that is our crisis in healthcare caused by
our physician shortage. We are justly proud of the Hawaii Prepaid Healthcare Act, but how
valuable is insurance if you cannot find a provider? How can we expect our people, especially
our aging population, to live comfortably, if they believe that quality healthcare is only available if
they have the time and ability to travel to the mainland? How can we attract more providers
when they realize they will be expected to work extraordinary hours because there is not a
reasonable number of other providers to share the burden? And to what extent do we limit our
primary economic driver, tourism, when visitors are warned "Don't get sick in Hawaii"?
I am not smart enough to know how to solve our physician shortage problem, especially
whether HB 1977, HD1 is a partial answer. I am told, and do believe, that eliminating the
General Excise Tax on healthcare services would be a very positive step in improving the
economics for healthcare providers, and I hope you will address that proposal (HB 2228 or SB
2542) during this legislative session. Whether funding medical students is also a good way to
go, I defer to others, although I would note that HD1 creates something of a dilemma, in that it
presumably wouldn't want to discriminate against our own, and so would wind up either funding
much if not most of JABSOM, or driving our students away from JABSOM so they could qualify
for the grant. I don't know if the State is prepared to take on that expense.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify.
R spectfully Submitted,
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Harry K
MAYOR
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.